The Diamond Wildcats are taking a road trip to take on the Stockton Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Diamond is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Diamond is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Missouri's top teams: Mt. Vernon, who was ranked third at the time (Diamond was ranked second). The Wildcats came out on top against the Mountaineers by a score of 14-11 on Monday. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Wildcats, who until this game were averaging 2.75 runs allowed.
Taelyn Reeder was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Talan Ingle, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Talyn Daniels, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Stockton was able to grind out a solid win over Butler on Monday, taking the game 7-2. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Like Diamond, Stockton also got a great game from a two-way player: Ellie Pettit. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Pettit also allowed seven hits, marking her first of the season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Raelyn Henderson was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Jozie Warner also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Diamond pushed their record up to 12-0 with the win, which was their 26th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Stockton, their record now sits at 7-2.
Everything went Diamond's way against Stockton in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Diamond made off with a 12-5 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
